Brian Strese - Medical Expense Fund
Necrotising fasciitis - A Flesh Eating Bacteria! Who would have thought at the end of 2016 that we would know so much in early 2017 about this awful life changing Bacteria!
Brian's story officially began on January 19th, 2017 when he started to feel like he was coming down with a virus. The weekend past and by the following week we assumed he was dealing with the flu. By January 26th, he still wasn't feel well and his right leg began to ache. It was absolutely a life changing moment when I convinced him we needed to get to the Doctor. By the end of the day we had been transferred from Northfield to Abbott and knew we may be facing this "Flesh eating bacteria" which at the time we thought only happened to people we saw on the news!
Between January 26th and today (March 8th, 2017), Brian has been through 3 hospitals, 2 ambulance rides, septic shock, organ failure, continuous dialysis, ventilators, feeding tubes, ICU pyschosis, massive antibiotics, large amounts of narcotic pain meds, 7 major surgeries on his right leg, an above the knee amputation of his right leg, skin grafting surgery, occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy and the list goes on and on!
While our family feels extremely blessed that Brian is alive, we now face the financial strain this awful bacteria has caused. Brian will be away from home during his rehabilitation for what could be months still and he will face a long road of medical appointments, skin graft surgeries, rehabilitation and prosthetic costs for years to come. With the family down to 1 income, and the mounting pile of medical bills we are now facing, the reality is daunting. In the future we are looking at prosthetic costs which we've been told can range anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000.
The families goal is to get Brian back to work and doing everything that he loves just like he used to! Only God knows when this time will come but for now, we know we have a long road ahead of us.
It is very humbling to reach out and ask for financial support from your family and friends. I never in a million years thought we would be that family however, I also realize, life changes and none of us know what the future holds.
Your donation to our family is appreciated beyond recognition! Any funds will be strictly used for medical purposes and living expenses. We cannot express to you how much we love and appreciate each and every one of you and all of the support we have received during this very testing time in our lives.
Blessings,
Brian, Tanya and Desirae
